About 9,000 housing units - both public and private - will be built on the site of Keppel Club as part of the future Greater Southern Waterfront, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

There will be private and public housing elsewhere too, he added during his National Day Rally speech, confirming for the first time that the mega waterfront development will have HDB flats.

In sketching out what the Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW) will look like, PM Lee said the entire area will be double the size of Punggol town.

"Think of it as Punggol by the Bay," he quipped.

First announced in 2013, the GSW comprises 30km of coastline stretching from the Gardens by the Bay East area to Pasir Panjang.

It contains 2,000ha of land - six times the size of Marina Bay and twice the size of Punggol.

PM Lee noted that prime land will be freed up for redevelopment after PSA moves its city terminals in Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Pulau Brani to Tuas by 2027, as well as Pasir Panjang terminal by 2040. The moves will "be an opportunity to reshape the GSW into a new place to live, work and play", he said.

As for housing, Keppel Club will become one of the first developments in the zone, he said, showing an artist's impression of what the area would look like, though he added in jest that the homes would not pop up "quite so fast".

The private golf club, whose lease expires in two years and which sits on a 44ha plot, is between two MRT stations and near Labrador Nature Reserve.

The waterfront will be a commercial node, said PM Lee, noting that several big companies have offices near Labrador Park, for example, Google, Cisco and Unilever.

"We will develop more office space in the GSW... which will bring in more jobs," he said.

"People can work near where they live, and live near where they work. This will create life and activity during the day and at night."

PM Lee also highlighted the recreation options that will come into the area, starting with the redevelopment of two old power stations in Pasir Panjang.

The authorities launched a competition earlier this year calling for ideas; winning proposals will be showcased at the end of the year.

After Brani Terminal moves out, the authorities will build new attractions on the island, including, possibly, a new labour movement-led resort.

Furthermore, Sentosa's beach areas will be revitalised while its nature and heritage trails will be expanded.

The GSW will be linked up to surrounding green areas, such as from West Coast Park to East Coast Park, and connecting the Rail Corridor and Sentosa.

"With a new green heart in the centre, Singapore will be even more of a City in a Garden," PM Lee said.